Crosses Rio Grande Length 320 m Location Laredo Body of water Rio Grande | Opened 1954 Width 13 m Bridge type Box girder bridge | |
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Carries Pedestrian
Non-commercial Vehicles Locale Laredo, Texas –
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Official name Gateway to the Americas International Bridge Other name(s) Laredo International Bridge 1 Maintained by City of Laredo
Secretariat of Communication and Transportation Similar Juárez–Lincoln International Bridge, Laredo–Colombia Solidarity Internatio, World Trade Internatio, Veterans Field, River Drive Mall | ||
The Gateway to the Americas International Bridge is one of four vehicular international bridges located in the cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, that connect the United States and Mexico over the Rio Grande (Río Bravo). It is owned and operated by City of Laredo and the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (Mexico's federal Secretariat of Communication and Transportation). It is also known as Laredo International Bridge 1.
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Description
The Gateway to the Americas International Bridge is a four-lane bridge with 2 pedestrian walkways and is 1,050 feet (320 m) long and 42 feet (13 m) wide. The bridge is also known as the Convent Street Bridge, Laredo International Bridge, Bridge Number One, Old Bridge, Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Bridge 1, Puente Nuevo Laredo, Puente Laredo I, and Puente Viejo.
Location
This bridge is located in the San Agustin Historical District in Downtown Laredo on the United States Side and on the northern terminus of Mexican Federal Highway 85 in downtown Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. It operates 24 hours a day for pedestrian traffic from and to Mexico. Vehicle traffic coming into the U.S is on hold for 18 months due to a major renovation on the U.S border station lasting from April 2016 to October 2017.
History
The original bridge was constructed in the 1880s in a through truss design, the original Laredo International Foot Bridge was destroyed April 28, 1905 by flood resulting from a hurricane. It was repaired and again totally destroyed by flood on September 3, 1932. The city of Laredo and the Mexican government rebuilt the bridge to accommodate vehicles in 1932, surviving 22 years before it was destroyed again by flood in 1954. The current bridge was constructed in 1954 and operational in 1956, has survived flooding with no damage and remains operational. The city of Laredo purchased the American side of the international bridge for $695,000 in 1946 from a private owner.